St. Michael American Legion’s Tom Zander Named Cheermeister

St. Michael American Legion Post Commander Tom Zander, a longtime employee of the City of St. Michael who retired as city assessor, has been named the St. Michael-Albertville Cheermeister for tonight’s festivities at the St. Michael Holiday Tree Lighting event, hosted by STMA Rotary and Shop St. Michael-Albertville.

Zander joins fellow Legionnaires Jim Pichler and Elmer “Ike” Eichelberg as past post commanders who have earned the award, evidence of the St. Michael American Legion’s importance in the community, the committee that selected the Cheermeister said.

“Tom is one of the first people I met as editor of St. Michael Patch, when I launched the site about seven years ago,” said Mike Schoemer, now publisher of North Wright County Today. “He’s one of those guys who knows everybody, and if he doesn’t know you he knows someone who knows you. He was a good ambassador for the City of St. Michael during his time with the assessor’s office and he’s a great representative and leader for the American Legion at a very important time here in St. Michael.”

Zander and fellow community servant David Dayon – a longtime volunteer on the city planning commission and EDA – have been the major force behind the American Legion Memorial, currently under construction at the confluence of Highway 241 and St. Michael Parkway (the one-way pair) in downtown St. Michael.

“Without Tom’s and the American Legion’s efforts these last couple of years, the monument wouldn’t be there. We’d still be in the planning stages,” said Nick Shultz, representing Shop STMA.

Nominees for Holiday Cheermeister must be either St. Michael-Albertville residents, be involved in a St. Michael-Albertville organization or own or work at a St. Michael business. Nominees should be actively involved in the St. Michael-Albertville community, embody the holiday spirit, and exemplify Rotary’s Four-Way Test, which asks: Of the things we think, say or do: 1.Is it the TRUTH?, 2.Is it FAIR to all concerned?, 3.Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS? 4.Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

Rotary is a unique organization that stresses “service above self.” It focuses on helping citizens in our community as well as addressing the world-wide challenges of disease, literacy, starvation and clean water. The St. Michael-Albertville Rotary meets at 7:30 a.m. Tuesdays in the Crow River Senior Center at the new St. Michael City Center. For more information, visit them on Facebook.

About Shop STMAShop STMA is a local non-profit organization of St. Michael and Albertville businesses with the vision of having every resident consider buying in Saint Michael and Albertville before going to businesses in the surrounding area or big box stores. For more information, visit www.shopstma.com.